Tours & tickets

Iglesia de San Lorenzo

We begin our tour in Chiapas at 9:30 in the morning, picking you up at your respective Hotel in San Cristóbal, and then taking the San Cristobal highway in the highlands of Chiapas, which is half an hour; visiting first: SAN JUAN CHAMULA CHIAPAS, where we will learn about its history and customs, such as religious syncretism, in which you can see healers healing their people with candles, chickens, eggs and ‘posh’ (regional alcoholic beverage). We will also see their typical Chiapas customs made of sheep wool. The sheep is considered another member of the family, because thanks to its wool they cover themselves from the cold and in gratitude, when the sheep dies, they bury it. Something that is very interesting is that it is a 100% Catholic town, there is no other religion other than Catholic. It is also a town where polygamy is practiced by custom. The language they speak is Tzotzil. In Chiapas, it is one of the most recognized ethnic groups for their deep-rooted customs and how united they are. At the end of our visit in the town of San Juan Chamula, we will move to ZINACANTÁN, another town of the Tzotzil ethnic group, which is located 10 km from the city of San Cristobal de las Casas. The road along which you drive passes through the Labor de Esquipulas, a beautiful example of the rural architecture of the Highlands of Chiapas. Later, bordering the foots of the ‘Huitepec’ hill, where an ecological reserve with trails has been established, to appreciate the flora and fauna of the temperate regions of Chiapas, we will have the opportunity to visit a Zinacanteca family, to see how they make their typical costumes and how they use the backstrap loom technique. We will go to the kitchen to taste some handmade tortillas, made by themselves. There, you can take photos and talk with them to learn a little more about their customs. The sacred spaces are marked by the hills that surround the small valley and the complex formed by the church of San Lorenzo.

Departure at 9.30 am at the reception of your hotel we moved to the indigenous village of San Juan Chamula is a Tzotzil community, distant pre-Hispanic origin that exercises its authority based on the uses and customs. San Juan Bautista, San Pedro, San Sebastian, are the three neighborhoods that make up this ceremonial center, each with its own pantheon presided over by giant crosses featuring Chul Metic (Mother God) and Chul Totic (Father God), there is the seat of authority and the place where religious syncretism gives its maximum expression: the temple of San Juan Bautista, whose deep meaning blends Christian tradition with pre-Hispanic roots. Continuing with the tours we move to the indigenous town of Zinacantan, a Tzotzil town "Place of Bats" where the sacred spaces are marked by the hills that surround the small valley and the complex formed by the church San Lorenzo, of colonial origin but remodeled in the early twentieth century and the chapels of Esquipulas and San Sebastian.

Learn about the indigenous communities of the state of Chiapas on a 5-hour cultural tour of San Juan Chamula and Zinacantan. A local guide will explain the history of the region, famous for its blend of Mayan beliefs and Catholicism. Go to the Church of San Juan Bautista (St. John the Baptist) to admire the beautiful façade and peek inside at the arrangement of altars, where the Catholic saints are dressed according to indigenous customs. Learn about the native people and their traditions, and how ancient Mayan beliefs intertwine with modern day Catholic practices. Continue to Zinacantan, near San Cristobal de las Casas, and visit the Church of San Lorenzo (St. Lawrence). Watch the laborious handicrafts of the weaver women, who, with a loom at their waists, produce magnificent textile pieces, including tablecloths, bedspreads, cushion covers and traditional huipiles (ponchos).